Noting that PM Gati Shakti Master Plan is a critical tool that integrates economic and infrastructural planning with development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said, “Gati Shakti National Master Plan is going to change the face of India’s infrastructure and its multimodal logistics.”
During the post-Budget webinar on the subject of ‘Infrastructure and Investment: Improving logistic efficiency with PM Gatishakti National Master Plan’, the Prime Minister said that the results of the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan are becoming visible. “We have identified the gaps that were impacting the logistics efficiency. That is why, in this year’s Budget, 100 critical projects have been prioritised and Rs 75,000 crore have been allocated. With quality and multimodal infrastructure, our logistic cost is going to reduce further in the days to come. With quality and multimodal infrastructure, our logistic cost is going to reduce further in the days to come,” PM Modi said.
“This will have a positive impact on the goods made in India, on the competence of our products. Along with the logistics sector, there will be a lot of improvement in ease of living and ease of doing business”, he added, inviting the participation of the private sector in the sector.
The webinar was organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) as the lead ministry, in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the ministry of commerce and industry as the co-lead ministry.
Elaborating on the role of the states, the Prime Minister informed about the one-year extension of interest-free loans up to 50-year loans and Budgetary expenditure for this has been increased to the tune of 30 per cent.
The Prime Minister asked the participants to find ways to develop a mechanism for an advanced forecast of the needs of their sectors as various materials are needed for infrastructure development. “We need an integrated approach so that the roadmap for the future remains clear. PM Gati-Shakti National Master Plan has a big role in this”, he said emphasising the need to integrate the concept of circular economy with the sector.
Hundreds of stakeholders attended today’s webinar along with more than 700 CEOs and MDs. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that all the sector experts and various stakeholders will make this webinar successful and effective.
“Infrastructure has a significant role to play in the sustainable development of any country along with development while keeping the needs of the future in mind”, the Prime Minister remarked. He underlined that those who have knowledge of history related to infrastructure are well-versed with this fact.
Noting the obstacles that came in the way of investments in the infrastructural development of the country by previous governments, the Prime Minister highlighted the prevailing mentality that poverty is a virtue. He underlined that the present government has not only been successful in eliminating this mentality but also in making record investments in modern infrastructure.
The Prime Minister elaborated on the improvement in this situation and said that the average construction of national highways has nearly doubled compared to what it was before 2014. Similarly, only 600 route km of railway track was electrified per year before 2014 which is now reaching 4000 km per year. He further added that the number of airports and seaport capacity has doubled as well.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the robustness of India’s physical infrastructure is equally important for the strengthening of the country’s social infrastructure. He underlined that a strong social infrastructure will lead to more talented and skilled youth who will come forward to serve the nation.
Noting the significance of the suggestions of every stakeholder in this webinar, the Prime Minister elaborated that they are not just contributing to the development of the nation but also providing momentum to the growth engine of India.
The webinar was structured in the format of plenary inaugural and concluding sessions and split into three parallel breakout sessions. The breakout sessions covered suggestions on Budget announcements related to infrastructure and investment, their implementation and way forward.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the three parallel
breakout sessions — “Improving Logistics Efficiency via Multi-Modality and Filling Critical Infrastructure Gaps”, anchored by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; “Planning on PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan”, anchored by the DPIIT and “Infrastructure Development & Investment Opportunities” — were anchored by MoRTH.